Local News

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted in connection with a recent theft case when they responded to a drug overdose at a city park early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 37-year-old Kelcey Edwin Cummings at Kesterson Park at the corner of NE 6th Street and Evelyn Avenue on Friday at 1:38 a.m.. Police said someone at the park called 9-1-1 to report that a camper had overdosed on narcotics. The unidentified caller stated they were told to call for an ambulance. They did not know who was overdosing or on what, but they suspected it might be fentanyl.
Medics responded to the park, performed CPR and were able to revive the patient, who also was not identified.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for fraud and weapon crimes this week after he tried to cash a stolen check in the downtown area. The Police Department reports officers arrested 28-year-old Luke Wyatt Mulligan at Ace Cash Express on SE 7th Street on Thursday afternoon. Police said Mulligan attempted to cash a stolen check for $948.33 at the business. They said an employee called the check owner who advised his checks were stolen from his mailbox and his signature was forged. The suspect was taken into custody and found to be in possession of a spring-activated double-edged knife. A records check showed Mulligan was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing a knife. He was also found to be in possession of a blank check from the same bank account. The victim was contacted and he advised there were other fraudulent transactions from the stolen checks

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for fraud and weapon crimes after he tried to cash a stolen check in the downtown area yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 28-year-old Luke Wyatt Mulligan at Ace Cash Express on SE 7th Street on Thursday at 12:59 p.m.. Police said Mulligan attempted to cash a stolen check for $948.33 at the business. They said an employee called the check owner who advised his checks were stolen from his mailbox and his signature was forged. The suspect was taken into custody and found to be in possession of a spring-activated double-edged knife. A records check showed Mulligan was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing a knife. He was also found to be in possession of a blank check from the same bank account. The victim was contacted and he advised there were other fraudulent transactions from the stolen checks. The investigation is continuing. Luke Mulligan was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of 1st-Degree Forgery, Identity Theft, 2nd-Degree Theft and Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon. He was being held without bail and additional charges are pending.

 

A Grants Pass felon was jailed for violating his post-prison supervision after he caused a disturbance at a local church early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 45-year-old Eric Delbert Rossiter near the Pinnacle 365 store on NE A Street on Thursday at 6:30 a.m.. Police said Rossiter was the subject of two calls related to his loud, strange and erratic behavior at the Bible Believers Baptist Church. The pastor of the church reported the suspect was sitting next to the building "throwing a fit and yelling very loudly." When officers located Rossiter near the store, he was standing in the street yelling, flailing his arms and making threats to fight. They were able to calm him down and place him into custody. Eric Rossiter was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct as well as the resulting Felony Parole Violation stemming from a previous criminal conviction. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a felon for a weapon crime last night during an investigation into a disturbance southeast of Grants Pass. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to reports of residential squatters engaged in a physical fight in the 1700-block of Summit Loop Road on Thursday around 6:20 p.m.. Deputies said several people were gathered in front of a home at that location yelling at each other and disturbing the neighborhood. They said one person told them a subject driving a car tried to hit them while a woman advised that her kids' father came over and they got into an argument. No other details were available. One of the people interviewed about the incident was identified as 39-year-old Matthew Pankey. He was uncooperative, detained and found to be in possession of brass knuckles in his pants pocket. The weapon was seized as evidence. Pankey was charged with Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon. In lieu of being lodged in jail, he was cited to appear in court and then released.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving following a traffic incident in the downtown area early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Toyota Scion driven by 44-year-old Marissa Ziegler near the intersection of 6th and G streets on Thursday around 8:45 a.m.. Police said Ziegler had been reported as a traffic complaint by a fellow motorist who reported observing her swerving and unable to maintain a single travel lane. The caller said they began following the suspect vehicle after it ran a stop sign and nearly hit them at the corner of SE 7th and M streets. Upon contact with Ziegler, officers said she displayed indicators of impairment and performed poorly in field sobriety tests. The suspect was taken to the Sobering Center where she was detained and a urine sample was collected. The Oregon State Police drug recognition specialist was unavailable. Marissa Ziegler was charged with suspicion of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. She was cited to appear in court and released. An acquaintance arrived to assume custody of the vehicle and a canine passenger.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving following a traffic stop in downtown Grants Pass late last night. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Ford F-150 pickup driven by 44-year-old Brandon John Bretl near the corner of SE 7th and I streets at 11:35 p.m. Thursday. Troopers said they stopped Bretl for a traffic violation and he exhibited signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was taken to the Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that was exactly the legal driving limit of .08%. Brandon Bretl was lodged at the Sobering Center on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His pickup was impounded.

 

A semi-truck driver escaped serious injury yesterday after he rolled his vehicle over on Interstate 5 in the Sunny Valley area. The Oregon State Police reports troopers, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the commercial vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 70 on Thursday at 11:45 a.m.. Troopers said an investigation indicates 27-year-old Matewos Adale was driving a Volvo semi-truck too fast for the wet road conditions when he lost control in a left-hand corner. The semi rolled and came to rest on its top in a ditch. According to OSP, Adale was not seriously hurt. The truck -- which was not carrying any hazardous cargo -- was eventually towed to Grants Pass. The Oregon Department of Transportation provided traffic control while the scene was active. Adale was warned for Violating the Basic Rule. Rural Metro officials said the sweeping corners on that stretch of I-5 quite often contribute to rolled semi-trucks and other vehicles. They urged motorists to slow down on that section of freeway -- especially when it is wet.

 

UPDATE: HOPE HOOVER HAS BEEN LOCATED AND IS NO LONGER MISSING.

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was seeking public assistance in locating a missing Grants Pass area woman. In a Thursday afternoon press release, the Sheriff's Office reported that 32-year-old Hope Susan Hoover left from the northeast area of Grants Pass on January 22nd with an unknown direction of travel. Hoover's family has not been able to contact her since that time and they called the Sheriff's Office to report her missing. She did not take any of her belongings with her when she left. Hoover is described as a white female adult, 5-feet-7-inches tall and 150 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is possibly driving a gray 2004 BMW X5 sedan with Oregon license plate 036 LWC. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Hope Hoover is encouraged to call the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.